by Matt Marquardt –
Mason City Council meetings are beginning to have the look and feel of county supervisor meetings.
Dull, boring, and no one shows up.
It’s been said around town that Mayor Eric Bookmeyer had a goal when he took office, to make our council meetings run like Jay Urdahl’s supervisor meetings. Short, quick, no controversy, thin audiences and perfect, unanimous votes.
Except for a few bumps in the road, all this has happened.
Bookmeyer wins. He has his empty room; his lackey, do-nothing, uninformed council; a city staff programmed to tell him what he wants to hear (when they are not writing in their journals about what the mayor said when he came in their office. They are saving those for later.)
Tonight’s council meeting started at 7:00 PM sharp and ended at 7:14 PM. Bookmeyer and the council stuck around for the largely ceremonial public listening post. Yes, they still have that. Bookmeyer tried to kill the listening post once and only due to three former council members did it survive. I have a feeling it would be dead in a 4-2 vote if this council took up the issue.
It’s hard to believe that with all the problems this city faces, it can all be solved in 14 minutes.
During the listening post, the council and mayor pretended to be interested as one die-hard attendee took the podium (Sandy Servantez) and called them out on just how much a Blue Zone will cost the taxpayers. None of them knew, so no one left any smarter.
Back on point, though, it seems the apathy towards our city government is at a high point. Our current mayor and council wanted this. Is this good for Mason City?
this town hasn’t gone downhill fact is the same people who have causing the problems are still the same ones from years ago. white black latino asian its all the same people. drugs is a major issue and the fact that kids aren’t in school further proves these issues start at home. if parents and the wiser and older in general stand up and step down from the soapbox and put forth some kind of effort to curve whats going on none of it would happen. if MC is what you consider bad you’d NEVER survive in a big city much like the scum that infest this town. you have to ask why so little is done by police and officials to curve crime in town so small when its not as hard as it may seem.
for every black dirtball i know trust me i know a white one. and i’ve never had a black person steal from me or try to but i can name several times some meth using thief has tried to either break into my house or my garage and these are people who live on my street no less.
I know a life-long older Mason City resident who is seriously considering moving to Clear Lake because of all the recent crime in MC. She does not live in a bad part of town. It takes almost as little time to get to the west side of MC from CL to shop as it does from the east side of MC to the west side of MC. Other than the hospital, there’s not a lot of need for her to go anywhere else east of there. The judges need to get tougher on the criminals in this town because people are getting sick of it and are going to start leaving. Maybe the City Council needs to consider worrying about this instead of putting lipstick on the downtown area.
What kind of police outreach programs do they have with the grade school, junior high, and high school, and college students in this town? Are officers mentoring students in high risk situations? What kind of programs have been shown to work in communities to keep students in school and on track? What kind of anti-pregnancy programs are in place? I’m not talking about birth control. I’m talking about bringing in young women who made bad choices and are willing to admit they regret them and why. Straight talk about emotions and sex. And, personally, I think a young guy should tell girls how they really think about sex! As in, “We’ll tell you anything we think you want to hear!” Drugs, pregnancy, and financial abuse frequently go together for young women who hook up with young male criminals. Being mentored by police officers who can find people willing to share their stories would be good. Also, they could share their profiles of the kinds of personalities that are dangerous and the red flags to watch out for: lack of empathy, no conscience, controlling behavior, etc. No one is teaching children these things. I’m sure some of them will recognize their parents…………
Off my soapbox. I just think the police or SOMEONE needs to intervene in children’s lives when they are young to teach them ethics, right and wrong, and to set a good example. Schools cannot do this alone and parents are not doing it. Isn’t it time somebody does something to keep our society from spinning farther out of control?
@Katie-All you have to do is drive through town most any time and you will see the people causing the problems. Drive through the area just outside of the downtown area and see what you see. I was at the hospital today and coming home I was shocked to see those people walking through that area. I am not a snob but I think I can tell when someone needs watching and we have a lot of them around town. Now I know these comments are going to set some people off but it is true. The town has gone downhill bad.
Katie you nailed it! Your Honorable Mayor it’s your turn to answer the questions. Don’t you ÇARE?Time to use your foot. Give MCPD the boot! WHats wrong with you. Take charge find that rolex .
I do not know who anonymous is, but he or she has their head in the sand, I used to go to council meetings, and if your not one of the few, then your comments are not welcome..Jim
GET OFF THE INTERNET AND GO TO THE MEETING!
I miss Max, at least he didn’t fold under everyone else.
I care and I voted for anyone else but bookmeyers cronies! but then again, I really didn’t have a choice other than his cronies. However, rich stick with the rich, the middle class to the poor are not organized nor run in the rich circles to create a voting agenda.
What decent person would want to go to the city council and voice there opinion and be ridiculed for it? Treated like a subclass citizen. If ya can’t beat the establishment might as well ignore them. It’ll only cost me more money in taxes and I have the pleasure of watching my hard earned money rebuild the harley shop for the ground up! I also get the pleasure of watching jobs other than retail continually leave town!!
Yea, “Matt, yes this is good for Mason City”, I guess drunkmeyer’s right.
your right truth…
“What decent person would want to go to the city council and voice there opinion and be ridiculed for it? Treated like a subclass citizen”
all it got me was harrassment from the police directed from the mayor.
well, maybe the next meeting NIT should get a group together(more than just the reporters) and sit in on a meeting, with questions in hand. I would like to learn more about the local politics, but I never hear about the meetings until they are over. I’m just a youngin’ so I guess my question is…are they every Tuesday at the same time?
The fat little man and his fools have control and no one has any say. Its called a dictatorship.
You’re correct Matt. I just watched the Supervisor meeting you taped earlier today.
What government we have.
They’re all a joke.
Would be different if we had the jobs that they all claim and run for office on.
SHEEP!
I guess I don’t understand the problem. The citizens who came out to vote voted for these people. This is what you wanted. You got the government you voted for so live with it. If you REALLY care or if this really bothers you then either run for council, get out and vote, or shut your mouth. It’s that simple!
Cheater has a point. The people that bothered to vote, did vote, and they got their way. Now, the rest of you complain. Sore losers. It’s too bad voting is such a chore for you people.
I DID vote and not for these fools. I have many reasons and a right to complain.
@Cheter and Calista-I agree with John. I did not vote for these idiots and have every right to complain as well as a lot of reasons for it too. I used to go to the council but gave it up as a lost cause. If you are allowed to speak you will be ridiculed and put down by the mayor or his pet dog. What a waste. These people finally got what they wanted when Weaver, Nelson and Marsters left. A council that will always vote for the haves on any pet project they want. Of course Sandy didn’t get any answers but you really have to give her credit for trying.
Mason City is dying. No one cares, and maybe if there is anyone that does cares they are too old to bother getting to the meetings.
The news came out that IC Systems is leaving town. You would think a council concerned with jobs and the livelihood of this community would have at least addressed that issue.
Thats a good point. The city bent over backward to keep those crappy jobs here. Now, they making like a tree and leavin. Council never said boo about it. I’m sure none of them knew since most of them forget where their cars are parked after the meeting, but come on.
Haha haha that reminds me of the time Solberg got lost in the NIACC parking lot ofter a council meeting couple years ago. Couldn’t find her car. I cracked a rib laughing at that one.
They dont care or listen anywhoo!!
That, my friend, is government BY a few, FOR a few.
Matt, yes this is good for Mason City. We don’t need the controversy that comes when people fill up the room and cause problems. Everything is running smooth now as it was intended.